Chimps learn and improve tool-using skills even as adults
Prolonged learning capacity might be key to evolution of tool use in chimps and humans
2024-05-07
(Press-News.org) Chimpanzees continue to learn and hone their skills well into adulthood, a capacity that might be essential for the evolution of complex and varied tool use, according to a study publishing May 7th in the open-access journal PLOS Biology by Mathieu Malherbe of the Institute of Cognitive Sciences, France and colleagues.
Humans have the capacity to continue learning throughout our entire lifespan. It has been hypothesized that this ability is responsible for the extraordinary flexibility with which humans use tools, a key factor in the evolution of human cognition and culture. In this study, Malherbe and colleagues investigated whether chimpanzees share this feature by examining how chimps develop tool techniques as they age. The authors observed 70 wild chimps of various ages using sticks to retrieve food via video recordings collected over several years at Taï National Park, Côte d’Ivoire. As they aged, the chimps became more skilled at employing suitable finger grips to handle the sticks. These motor skills became fully functional by the age of six, but the chimps continued to hone their techniques well into adulthood. Certain advanced skills, such as using sticks to extract insects from hard-to-reach places or adjusting grip to suit different tasks, weren’t fully developed until age 15. This suggests that these skills aren’t just a matter of physical development, but also of learning capacities for new technological skills continuing into adulthood.
Retention of learning capacity into adulthood thus seems to be a beneficial attribute for tool-using species, a key insight into the evolution of chimpanzees as well as humans. The authors note that further study will be needed to understand the details of the chimps’ learning process, such as the role of reasoning and memory or the relative importance of experience compared to instruction from peers.
The authors add, “In wild chimpanzees, the intricacies of tool use learning continue into adulthood. This pattern supports ideas that large brains across hominids allow continued learning through the first two decades of life.”
#####
In your coverage, please use this URL to provide access to the freely available paper in PLOS Biology: http://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.3002609
Citation: Malherbe M, Samuni L, Ebel SJ, Kopp KS, Crockford C, Wittig RM (2024) Protracted development of stick tool use skills extends into adulthood in wild western chimpanzees. PLoS Biol 22(5): e3002609. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3002609
Author Countries: France, Côte d’Ivoire, United States, Germany
Funding: This study was funded by the Max Planck Society (M.IF.EVAN8103 – to CC and RMW through the Evolution of Brain Connectivity Project). LS was supported by the German Research Foundation (DFG, Emmy Noether Fellowship 513871869). The funders had no role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.
END
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
2024-05-07
MAY 7, 2024, NEW YORK – Using artificial intelligence, Ludwig Cancer Research scientists have developed a powerful predictive model for identifying the most potent cancer killing immune cells for use in cancer immunotherapies.
Combined with additional algorithms, the predictive model, described in the current issue of the journal Nature Biotechnology, can be applied to personalized cancer treatments that tailor therapy to the unique cellular makeup of each patient's tumors.
“The implementation of artificial intelligence in cellular therapy is new and may be a game-changer, offering new clinical options to patients,” said Ludwig Lausanne’s Alexandre ...
2024-05-07
PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — A new analysis revealed the frequency of potentially lethal substances, such as fentanyl and xylazine, in counterfeit pills that had been circulating in Rhode Island’s illicit drug supply.
Study author Dr. Rachel Wightman, an associate professor of epidemiology and emergency medicine at Brown University, said the analysis provides important information about the composition of counterfeit pills, which are designed to replicate legitimate pharmaceutical pills but often lead to adverse health effects.
“The level of detail found in our analysis can help inform treatment conversations and improve patient care,” ...
2024-05-07
INDIANAPOLIS – Researchers have discovered a protein marker to help identify cells able to repopulate in patients with damaged blood vessels. Their findings, recently published in Circulation, could lead to new therapies for people with endothelial dysfunction, a type of disorder that contributes to coronary artery disease that may occlude with plaque and lack ability to carry sufficient blood into the heart tissue causing a heart attack.
“This study is the first to establish that a single, prospective marker identifies vascular clonal repopulating endothelial cells ...
2024-05-07
As part of the University of Colorado Department of Medicine’s annual Research Day, held on April 23, faculty member Christine Swanson, MD, MCR, described her National Institutes of Health-funded clinical research on whether adequate sleep can help prevent osteoporosis.
“Osteoporosis can occur for many reasons such as hormonal changes, aging, and lifestyle factors,” said Swanson, an associate professor in the Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Diabetes. “But some patients I ...
2024-05-07
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — LyoWave Inc., a high-tech startup, is commercializing innovative microwave heating technologies developed at Purdue University that improve upon traditional lyophilization — or the process of freeze-drying perishable products — by increasing speed, cost-effectiveness and product throughput.
CEO and co-founder Drew Strongrich said LyoWave’s microwave energy innovations open new possibilities for a variety of products.
“Our technology overcomes the historic issues associated with microwave systems such as nonuniform heating, poor ...
2024-05-07
Cheers erupted from a crowd gathered at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus on April 19 as leaders at the CU School of Medicine and the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) signed an educational partnership agreement, a historic moment that will open a breadth of opportunities for both institutions.
“This is a very happy occasion for us and formalizes something that we always seek to have, which is a mutually beneficial partnership with colleagues in the state,” said John J. Reilly Jr., MD, dean ...
2024-05-07
“The independent research groups, led by Prof. Scott W. Lowe and Christina Curtis,respectively, have uncovered a similar definitive pathway in the progression of gastric cancer (GC) initiated with loss of the TP53 gene, representing a milstone in understanding the early stages of this deadly disease”. Dr. Zhaocai Zhou, head of a GC laboratory from Fudan University, stated.“Their study offers detailed insights into how genetic changes drive the transformation from preneoplastic conditions to full-blown cancer. Their findings revealed that loss of TP53 is not merely a common genetic anomaly but a pivotal event that propels ...
2024-05-07
A recent review article provides critical insights into the management of acute agitation in reproductive-age females and during pregnancy within the emergency departments (EDs). The study emphasizes the importance of considering the safety of psychotropic medications in this demographic population, given the potential risks to both the patient and the fetus.
Agitation in the emergency department is not uncommon and can stem from various causes, including psychiatric disorders, substance abuse, and other medical ...
2024-05-07
COLUMBIA, Mo. (May 7, 2024) ― More Americans suffer from chronic pain than diabetes, heart disease, and cancer combined. Yet, a shortage of pain medicine specialists persists, causing many pain sufferers to seek care in primary care settings.
Researchers from the University of Missouri School of Medicine have found that an innovative tele-mentoring program can help address reliance on opioids in the management of pain, with potential benefits for patients, families and communities.
Project Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO) is an innovative educational and mentoring model where ...
2024-05-07
A study has outlined the critical needs and essential technologies for a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) constellation to augment satellite navigation systems, significantly improving the Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) services. This research specifically targets the diverse demands of different users for LEO augmented GNSS, the possible contribution of LEOs to PNT performances, and the key technologies referring to the LEO-based navigation augmentation system.
The Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), including the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS), are the most widely used in providing PNT services. However, GNSS signals from geostationary orbit (GEO), inclined ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
[Press-News.org] Chimps learn and improve tool-using skills even as adults
Prolonged learning capacity might be key to evolution of tool use in chimps and humans